by Sam Juliano
Our 43rd annual (yes incredibly that’s right!) Oscar party will be held for the fifth straight year at Fairview’s Tiger Hose Firehouse on Sedore Avenue next Sunday, February 9th at 6:00 P.M. till midnight. As always our hot food buffet with include a number of succulent dishes buffet style-courtesy of of the awesome Gandolfo’s pizzeria/restaurant in North Bergen. Eggplant parmigiana; chicken parmigiana; chicken francaise; sausage and peppers; fried calamari; penne vodka; meatballs; linguine, escarole and beans; cold cut antipasto; salad; beverages, beer and deserts will be served. Many of the regulars will again be in attendance in the crowded but comforting back room and kitchen of the town’s oldest firehouse. For those interested we also have our Oscar pool ballots ready to be filled out.
Friday night Lucille and I proudly attended “The Color Purple” touring performance at the State Theater in New Brunswick where the extraordinarily-talented 25-year-old Eric Lampmann (Lucille’s sister Elaine’s youngest son) performed as the first listed member of the orchestra as Reed 1 (alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, alto flute). The show, a Tony Award winning musical on Broadway, will be playing all over the country in coming months. Young Eric is a musical superstar!!!
We are preparing to leave for Butler, New Jersey for the Super Bowl. The BAFTA’s will also be broadcast later in the evening, so we’ll all be occupied with TV transmissions at the evening wears on. Hope everyone enjoys their day!
Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Looking forward very much to seeing y’all Sunday, Sam!
John, you will be deeply loved for the rest of our lives. We deeply wanted to see you too, but were foiled by divine providence. You were a Prince since the very first moment we met you (and your lovely wife Pam) and Lucille and I will cherish your memory. At this site you were a guiding light since you made your first appearance in the spring of 2013. With Ricky Chinigo and Frank Gallo you were the most regular in the comment section and your many fabulous film essays for our polls are here for posterity. As was the case when we lost our dear Allan, we will never forget you. Obviously the hit the site has now taken is incalculable but far, far, far more important Lucille and I have lost one of our dearest friends. As you know we met you in person NINE (9) times over the years (three Oscar parties, twice at Joey’s Bar/Restaurant in Hewitt; our maiden connection at a Montclair bookstore; once in Clifton at a bar/restaurant; and twice at Book Festivals in Princeton, N.J. and Warwick, NY, the latter where we convened at an Irish Pub). We will cherish every last second we spent with you our very dear friend.
Lovely words Sam.
Great photo of Lucille and Eric. That must have some some night! But your “Super Bowl” is on Sunday and I am expecting another fantastic video!!!
Is Renee Zellweger poised to win the Oscar for her Judy impersonation? I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or swallow a bottle of Seconal.
Moonstruck (Norman Jewison, 1987). Absolutely charming celebration of the family, Italian-American style. And Cher proves that she’s more than just a singing diva; she deserved that Oscar.
Remember when Medal of Freedom recipient Limbaugh played Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” as intro to one of his radio segments mocking AIDS patients? Abhorrent.
So true what you say on Cher and “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Pitt wins supporting actor. It all goes south from here, folks.
Well Mark, Pitt was the heavy favorite and won everything in sight leading up to the Oscars.
Waititi over Zaillian, a new Oscar nadir.
I don’t know who’s prettier, Salma Hayek or Oscar Isaac.
I agree on that point you make Mark. Zaillian should have won that.
Dern is a good choice, but Pugh is a better one.
I preferred Pugh as well Mark, but agree Dern is a solid enough choice.
Schoonmaker loses. Time to start on a second Alice B. Toklas brownie.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gimme a Bong Joon-ho if you’ve got your funky bus fare.
Someone stop me.
Sam Mendes, director of the ludicrous “American Beauty,” is denied a second directing Oscar by…Bong Joon-ho!
I am assuming then that you agree with Bong winning this? Most of the intellectual critics are on Cloud Nine, but I preferred Mendes myself.
The great Joaquin gets his Oscar…for the wrong picture
Agreed.
The great Joaquin gets his Oscar…for the wrong picture.
Judy-on-the-skids is an actor’s dream. Hell, I could’ve played it better than Renee (and with the help of liquor I sometimes have).
Hahahahah good one! I too did NOT NOT NOT want Zelwegger to win this. Ronan or Johansson for me.
Holy cow! Oscar history was made tonight. Pinch me now.
Yes it was and though I am not a huge Parasite fan it was a breakthrough still for international cinema. As you know the national Society of Film Critics gave Parasite BP as well.
Holy fuck. Jeff Wells just swallowed his tongue.
Holy cow! Jeff Wells just swallowed his tongue.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes he did!!!
So happy my first comment of the evening was so wrong.
Correct Mark. The vast majority thought it went upward from that point. Thank you so much for your much-valued running commentary my friend!